“Musical Lace of Siberia” at the Roerich Estate
On March 18, the International Roerich Memorial Trust hosted a joint Russian-Indian event as part of the “Teacher in Art” cultural and educational project, initiated by Tomsk State Pedagogical University (TSPU). The project was supported by the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Nations and International Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), the Russian House in Delhi, and the Department of International and Regional Relations of the Tomsk Region Administration.
On the spring day of March 18, project participants from the historic Russian city of Tomsk, along with a large group of tourists from Russia and Kazakhstan, arrived at the Roerich Estate. The guests were met and warmly welcomed by Larisa Surgina, the Russian curator of the International Roerich Memorial Trust (IRMT) and an employee of the International Center of the Roerichs (Moscow). During a tour of the Roerich Estate, the Russian curator spoke movingly about Nicholas Roerich and his wife Helena Roerich, their sons — the scholar and orientalist Yuri (George) and the artist Svetoslav — as well as their lives and multifaceted artistic, scientific, philosophical, and social activities.
This was followed by a joint Russian-Indian musical celebration. Despite the ongoing winter break, the teachers and students of the Helena Roerich Academy of Arts (for Children) prepared several performances especially for the Russian guests. The program began with a musical prayer to the goddess Saraswati, the patroness of science and art, and then continued with a cheerful, colorful dance dedicated to the relationship between sisters and brothers, performed by girls of the younger and middle age groups.
The same group of children performed a song about stars and people, about how each of us is a star in our hearts and radiates light… The music was performed by music teachers Anshul Kumar (Indian harmonica) and Anup Kumar (Indian tabla). The senior girl, Kritika Thakur, sang a beautiful song about love.
Then Anup Kumar performed a rhythmic classical melody on the tabla (an Indian folk percussion instrument), accompanied by the Indian harmonica (Anshul Kumar). The audience was enchanted by the beauty and spirituality of the “Krishna” dance — a divine dance of love symbolizing the soul’s highest joy and love for God — performed by dance teacher Mamta Thakur. Thus, the program featured performances by both teachers and their students, which fit very well with the theme of the “Teacher in Art” project itself.
Concluding the Indian portion of the musical program, Anshul Kumar emphasized that such joint events celebrate art and remind us that creativity unites people, transcending all boundaries.
Following the hosts’ performance, Russian artists from Siberia took the stage with the program “Musical Lace of Siberia”: Tatyana Stukalova, Ekaterina Clemens, Igor Ivanchenko, Artem Brantov, and Natalya Romanova. They were assisted by interpreters Maria Dham and Nikita Serov.
The audience was treated to works from various genres of Russian folk music—ranging from lyrical and soulful melodies to vibrant and energetic compositions. The guests were particularly intrigued by pieces inspired by the musical traditions of the peoples of Siberia. Their unique sound, original rhythms and characteristic intonations introduced the audience to the richness of this region’s cultural heritage and showcased the diversity of musical forms found in Russia. The Indian songs and bhajans performed by the Russian musicians drew special gratitude and smiles from the Indian audience.
At the conclusion of the program, Suresh Kumar, the Indian curator of the IRMT, expressed his gratitude to all the performers. He presented each participant with a topi — a woolen cap featuring traditional national ornamentation — an element of the traditional national costume. The Indian curator emphasized the importance of such joint cultural events, which strengthen the friendship between Russia and India.
On behalf of the Indian-Russian team of the IRMT, Larisa Surgina thanked the Russian musicians for the wonderful concert and for the heartfelt beauty of their performance of Siberian folk music and beloved songs. She noted the high professionalism and impeccable skill of the artists, who gave the audience unforgettable emotions, and called the Russian-Indian program at the Himalayan Memorial Roerich Estate a true celebration of art and unity.
Then the participants began to mingle freely: teachers exchanged experiences, while musicians examined traditional instruments, showing great interest in their sound, construction, and playing techniques; they immediately tried playing the tabla, the fisgarmoni, and the hang together. A communal tea break added an extra touch of warmth and cordiality to the celebration.
The audience and participants were happy to be together and to understand one another even without knowing each other’s languages. Here are some comments from program participants.
Natalia: “Thank you so much for the wonderful concert featuring our artists and Indian performers!!!”
Elena: “Special thanks to the teachers and students of the Academy of Arts. It was lovely and sincere. The kids and their creativity are truly international and understandable to everyone.”
Alexander: “And I also felt the power of Russia’s energy, its creative potential, which our artists demonstrated. It seems to me that we ourselves don’t realize who we are, what power flows through us. Glory to Heavenly Russia! May there be a New World!”
Alena: “I thank you with all my heart for the opportunity to touch the Beautiful!”
The unity achieved among people of different cultures through the unifying power of art can be called the main outcome of the event. Interaction and communication in a single language — the language of love and mutual respect — is priceless. Nicholas Roerich once expressed this idea beautifully: “Art unifies humanity. Art is one and indivisible. Art has many branches, but its root is unique. Art is the banner of the coming synthesis. Art is for all. Each one senses the truth of beauty. To all must be opened the gates of the ‘sacred source.’ The light of art illuminates countless hearts with new love.”
We express our sincere gratitude to the Russian House (New Delhi) and its director, Elena Remizova, for their support and for providing the opportunity to hold a wonderful joint program at the International Roerich Memorial Trust.
